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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29265891">Bad Pennies</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadoedseptmbr/pseuds/shadoedseptmbr'>shadoedseptmbr</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>L'essai Et Repose [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Mass Effect Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon-Typical Violence, Earthborn (Mass Effect), F/M, Gen, Mass Effect 1, Old Friends, Tenth Street Reds</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 13:40:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,906</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29265891</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadoedseptmbr/pseuds/shadoedseptmbr</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Old Friends: Shepard runs into Finch and reveals a glimpse of her past to her squadmates.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>L'essai Et Repose [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1937545</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Bad Pennies</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Ambassador had cut Shepard loose from the preliminaries of the next Council meeting as they discussed the asari’s new information and she’d taken the opportunity for Williams and him to grab some lunch with her.  It probably shouldn’t have surprised Kaidan that one of the waitresses had known her.  At least well enough to feel comfortable asking for Commander Shepard’s help.  </p><p>"So the girl, the sister, is working at Chora's den?”</p><p>“S’what Rita said.”</p><p>“And all we have to do is what, talk her out of working for C-Sec?”  </p><p>Shepard hummed an affirmative.</p><p>“I'm just not sure why this is a priority, Commander, much less ours.” Ashley was bordering on insubordination but Shepard didn’t seem to mind.  "Don't we need to focus on the geth? Saren?"</p><p>“Ah, Rita’s decent and I like to lean into the idea that we can help each other out up here is all, Chief.  If the Earth kids stick together…”</p><p>“Heya, Ace.”</p><p>Shepard didn't break stride when the civilian called out to them, even if she broke off her explanation.  But Kaidan sized him up out of the corner of his eye and Ashley full on turned her frowning face in his direction.  He was a good looking guy; a little scarred up, but neatly dressed in red and black.  Carried himself arrogantly. Didn’t seem to have any particular training, though. </p><p>He sneered as Shepard breezed by. “Oh that's right. You got a fancy title these days, doncha Commander Shepard?”</p><p>She sighed, and swung around to scowl at him.  “Alright, I'll bite.  Who are you?”</p><p>The man spread his hands out.  “We're old friends, <em>Shepard</em>. Or friends of friends.”</p><p>“Does my friend have a name? Or a <em>point</em>?”  Shepard looked bored, somehow managing to look down her nose at the guy who was a good 13 centimeters taller.</p><p>“Red kids gotta stick together, don't we?”  </p><p>And just like that, she shifted. Not her voice or even the square posture but <em>something</em> Kaidan couldn’t put a finger on became suddenly dangerous.  “Name.”  </p><p>“Finch.”  He smiled, seemingly sure he had what he’d wanted, now.</p><p>“Ah. Finch.” It meant something to her. He could tell that much. This wasn't a civilian to help.  This was a threat. He could feel Ash squaring up beside him, both of them at an angle that blocked their commander from the view of passersby, in reflex.    </p><p>“So what's the message?”  The guy went still and Shepard’s smile turned sharkish.  “What, you think I forgot the order of things? You're a messenger boy, Finch-bird, so make with the singing.”</p><p>“Got a Red in trouble. Thought you could help?  Be the old ace in the hole, again, for old time’s sake?”</p><p>There was that word again, like Finch was trying to pin a label on her.  Kaidan didn’t like it at <em>all.</em></p><p>“In trouble? What’s a Red doing on the Citadel. It’s a hell of a way from Tenth Street, yeah?”</p><p>“You’d know about that.”  He shrugged, “Reds have been busy.  Not just Earthside, these days.  But one of the guys, Curt Weisman? Got into a little trouble with some turians.”</p><p>“Ok. Well, then, that's pretty far out of my jurisdiction.” Kaidan wondered if Finch noticed Shepard’s hand on her gun.  “Out of curiosity, what did he do?” </p><p>“Oh, not much.  Something about smuggling, maybe had some sand on him.”</p><p>Shepard sniffed. “I’m not a traffic cop, Finch, I don’t clear your tickets.  Why’s he on the Citadel if they caught him in turian space with some red sand?”</p><p>“I don’t know.  Extradition or something. There’s a guard in that bar, it’s got some pull.  If you could talk to him, maybe mention being a Spectre?”</p><p>Something flitted across her expression but it ended in a scowl.  “That’s not what I became a Spectre for, Finch.”  She relaxed her shoulders and turned away, “Stay out of trouble and don’t try and pull this shit, again.”</p><p>They were steps away from the Den, the music already filtering towards them when Finch called out again, the taunt back in his voice now that she was more than an arm’s length away.</p><p>“You know, I bet there’s a shitload of reporters out there waiting for a nice scoop on the Alliance darling’s deep dark past.  Bet all your new alien buddies can’t wait to hear about where they scraped you out of.”</p><p>Shepard was still smiling when she turned back.  “Hmm?”</p><p>“What’s he talking about, Commander?”  Ash’s question was low and Kaidan raised his hand to stop her but it was too late.</p><p>Finch raised his eyebrows, “Oh, they don’t know?”  He called directly to Ashley, “Didn’t you know your hero here used to be a dirty sand running, cop killing…”</p><p>She was so <em>fast</em>.  He’d seen her enough in the field, now.  Kaidan knew her rhythms, seen the N7 run down Geth and pirates and stand her ground in a krogan charge, only to whip aside at the last second and drop him with a shot to the temple.  </p><p>But she had Finch whirled out of the passage and against the alley wall, pinned in less time than it took Kaidan to blink. With a surprised grunt, Ash pulled her sidearm free, covering Shepard’s back and Kaidan stepped farther into the alley to...he wasn’t sure.  Something <em>worried</em> him here.   </p><p>Shepard jerked down the neck of Finch’s shirt, popping fasteners and revealing a line of jagged barbed wire tattoos; stark and black against his skin. </p><p>“Aww, look.” Her chuckle was almost friendly, the sing song of the next line was definitely not.  “Three little black initiation spikes.  That’s cute, Finch-bird. Y’know, I got my init spikes when I was <em>twelve</em>.”  </p><p>“Whoever sent you after me must not like you very much.”  It was the casual tone of her voice as she held the man pinned against the cold panels of the wall that made Kaidan shiver, a lick of ice curling up his spine.  The whole alley dropped to zero when she added, “You wanna guess what color mine are, message boy?” </p><p>Kaidan frowned.  He’d seen her in workout gear often enough, now.  There weren’t any tattoos along her collar bones.  Just some old...he glanced at Finch’s exposed chest, again.  Just some old, pale triangular scars. Like long ago burns.  </p><p>“Yeah, Jader said you uh, you u..used to be some...” His breath whooshed out as the trembling revealed he wasn’t quite as confident as he’d wanted to appear as she leaned her weight against his chest.</p><p>“My past is on record, the Alliance is well aware who they sprung out of juvie.” Shepard let him go, and Finch slid down the wall, barely keeping his feet under him. “Get out of my face, Finch. Go crawl back in whatever spiderhole you crawled out of and stay out of Citadel space.  And you can take that back to the rest of the Reds, too. Last and only warning.” </p><p>She shot one of those slanty eyebrows in their direction and turned her back on the man, prowling away as they followed.  Her gait, usually more of a rolling step suited to ships, was shoulder forward and stalking.  </p><p>They were back on the ramp to Chora’s Den, Ashley glancing over at him worriedly every other step when he decided to speak, if only to keep Williams from overstepping...whatever this was. “Commander…”</p><p>She spun on her heel and it was only the ten damned years of training that kept him from flinching.  </p><p>And she saw it, damn it. Glanced over both of them and closed her eyes for a minute. Kaidan caught the edge of what might have been hurt flashing across her face and it tugged at the part of his gut he’d been trying to ignore since...well, since they met.</p><p>When Shepard opened her eyes again, they were clear to the point of blankness. “I will explain but this isn’t the best place.  Just.  Let me talk to that girl and let me give the guard a heads up, okay?”  Her voice was low and quiet, sincere and despite his misgivings, he relented.  </p><p>“Yes, ma’am.” Williams echoed his reply.</p><p>“Okay.  I appreciate it.” She rolled her shoulders before she led them into the bar, taking a second to let them all adjust to the dive’s red shift lighting and the throb of bass that buried the conversations around them into blurs of noise.</p><p>A quick word with the new bartender revealed that Jenna only worked after six, Citadel time, and they had an hour to kill but that there was a turian who worked the prison and was a regular.  Shepard grimaced as Williams grumbled about the stage show, again.  “Fine...he said the turian was over there.  We’ll come back later for the girl so that the dancers don’t offend your sensibilities too much, Chief.”  </p><p>Shepard cut a path through the bustle of the crowd, like she could warp gravity.  Was it the way she carried herself? As if she was a foot and a half taller than she actually was, people hustling aside without even trying to catch her eye.  </p><p>They found themselves in front of a turian in casual clothes, a hood covering his fringe.  Commander Shepard asked him, earnestly with an open expression, “Excuse me, are you Lucilius?”  </p><p>He drew to his feet, politely...or possibly to tower over them.  Or both, Kaidan gave him the benefit of the doubt.  “Who’s asking, Alliance?”</p><p>Shepard squared up.  “Commander Shepard.” The flex of the mandibles said he knew who she was.  “I’ve been informed that you’re holding a human prisoner, a member of an Earth based gang by the name of Curt Weisman?”</p><p>“The xenophobe?”</p><p>“Excuse me?”</p><p>“Tried to poison a shipment of goods, almost killed a few hundred turians in the name of Earth.”</p><p>“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Shepard rubbed her forehead and glanced behind her, under the cover of her hand.  Kaidan turned his head to scan the bar while Ashley continued to watch the guard but no one seemed to pay any attention to them.</p><p>“I’m sorry, I was told he was a smuggler.  Anyway.  A contact mentioned that the gang was interested in breaking him out.  I just wanted to let you know there might be an issue.”</p><p>Lucilius relaxed.  “I appreciate that, Commander.  I admit, thought you were going to try and bribe me or something.”</p><p>“Nah.  I don’t care one way or the other about a smuggler but you can do what you want with…”</p><p>“You’re a fucking <em>rat</em>, Shepard!”  They spun to face a raging Finch and Kaidan berated himself for not watching the door, better. “You’re gonna regret...The Reds don’t.. The Council is gonna hear <em>all </em>the dirty stories about you, you fucking<em> bitch</em>.” </p><p>He was halfway through a mnemonic when the gunshot echoed through the bar, barely drowned out by the heavy bass that was pounding in his ears. Or was that his heartbeat?</p><p>“I’m sorry, Lucilius.  I had no idea this anti-alien extremist was armed or I wouldn’t have allowed him to follow me.” Shepard’s voice was smooth and cool as she checked her pistol, ignoring the body that hit the floor with a smoking hole through its forehead.  </p><p>The turian was...grinning, mandibles flared wide. “That was an impressive shot, Spectre.  I had my doubts but perhaps humans were ready for the honor, after all.”  He knelt down to pat the body.  “Hmm.  Yes, I will take this gun into protective custody.” He stood up with empty hands and nudged the body aside with a red boot before he passed by.  “I’ll make sure there are extra guards on Weisman, just in case.”  </p><p>“Yanth, I’m sorry about the mess.”  She fiddled with her omni as she apologized to the bartender, making a quick report to Citadel security.  Not one patron was even looking their way but he couldn’t blame Ashley for keeping her gun free, head on a swivel.  His was too, as Shepard chatted with the barman.  </p><p>“Nah, it’s no problem.  Not like it’s the first body today, even.”  A tired looking turian maintenance worker came up with a mop.  </p><p>Shepard gave him and Williams a quick assessing glance before asking, “Is anyone using Fist’s office, yet?</p><p>“Nope.”  </p><p>“I’m gonna borrow it a minute, okay?” As if he was going to argue? </p><p>“Sure thing.”  </p><p>The doors slid shut behind them and Willams burst out, “Shepard, what the hell was that?</p><p>“I appreciate you waiting until we had some privacy for that, by the way.”  She shot them a crooked grin and sighed when Ashley just folded her arms across her chest.</p><p>Tucking her hands behind her back as if she was on report, she said.  “I was in a gang when I was a kid.  Finch was, apparently, a member of that gang.”  </p><p>“Yeah, we got that.”  Kaidan muttered.</p><p>She raised her eyebrows, but continued on good naturedly, “Sure, just... setting the scene, alright?  It was a <em>test </em>to see if, deep down, I was still a Red.  I really don’t care what stories they have to tell about me, it was a long time ago and most of the court stuff is sealed. But if I had let him walk out, they’d’ve found a way to frame me and through me, the Alliance, for the break out.”  </p><p>Did that mean? ”It isn’t the first time they’ve come after you like that?”</p><p>“Right after Elysium.  I let a Finch walk because I was<em> better than that, now.” </em>she grimaced and continued<em>, “</em>And the next day there was a red sand delivery to an admiral’s daughter with my fingerprints all over it.  It’s why the Alliance made sure the story about me “overcoming my gang past and resolving to pay back society by joining up” got out, to cover any gaps in the defense after the investigation.” </p><p>“Tastefully edited?” </p><p>“Of course.  This time...this time might have gotten a lot of other people hurt and done crap things for humanity’s reputation, in the balance.  We don’t have the confidence of the Council, yet.  I couldn’t let it go farther.” </p><p>Kaidan felt the tension bleed out of his spine for the first time that afternoon.  It was a reasonable enough explanation for him. A wider angle on a picture he’d only seen a corner of.</p><p>“Are we good?”  Her eyes were laser focused on Ashley, who still looked a little skeptical, even as she shifted under the scrutiny.  </p><p>“I’ve got no problem with you dealing with trash, Commander.”  </p><p>“But?”</p><p>She shook herself.  “No but. We’re good.”</p><p>He felt those cool eyes track on his face.  “Lieutenant Alenko?”</p><p>There was something...withdrawn in the soft tone.  “I would have preferred to deal with it in the alley away from the civilians.  Ma’am.”</p><p>A smile flickered in her eyes, lifting the weight of their impact as Shepard chuckled. “Yeah, well, I’m the good guy these days.  I try real hard to be, anyway.” This time her grin reached her eyes.  “Always give ‘em a second chance to make that one good decision, y’know?”</p><p>“Was he armed?”  </p><p>“Ah, I don’t know.  Finches aren’t usually but clearly things have changed since I was...since I was a kid and I didn’t want to take a chance in a bar full of non combatants. He was a duster, I could smell it, but I don’t know if he was loaded or not.”</p><p>“He wasn’t biotic.”  </p><p>“You can tell?”  Shepard lifted her chin in acknowledgement when Kaidan nodded. “Hmm.  Okay.  Well, I’ll leave it to your judgement next time, then, Lieutenant.”  She lifted her hands, “Any other questions?”</p><p>Kaidan had a few dozen he could think of, but he’d rather do it in the Mess over a cup of coffee than holed up in the less welcoming office that still held a lingering scent of over charged circuitry and blood.  The music was starting to spark unwelcome twinges along his nerves, anyway.  He rubbed his forehead.</p><p>Ashley asked, “Juvie? You were in prison.”</p><p>Shepard nodded.  “Yup. For a couple of things.”</p><p>“And the Alliance got you out.”  </p><p>“Arranged for my transfer to boot camp and considered it time served upon good behavior.”  She frowned at him, “You okay, LT?”</p><p>Ashley’s soft brown eyes landed on him, too.  He glanced at Shepard and noticed a tightness around her own eyes, and her foot, tapping subtly against the floor.  She really didn’t want to talk about this.  But she <em>would </em>if they made her.</p><p>“I, uh,  I could use a break from the...music.”  </p><p>“If you want to call it that.” Ash grimaced.  “Commander, can we...?”</p><p>“Yeah, let’s get back to the Normandy.  I ought to make a formal report and I can ask Garrus about getting C-SEC to back off Rita’s sister.” </p><p>Ashley led the way out of the bar and Shepard reached out and tapped his elbow as they walked.  She didn’t say anything, but the question was on her face.</p><p>“I’m okay.  Just...I... <em>we’ve </em>got your six, you know that, Shepard?” He glanced at her.  She was close enough he could count the freckles on her nose.  Kaidan resisted the urge to bury his face in his gauntlets and groan.  He was in so much trouble, here.  Six little freckles.  </p><p>“Yeah.  I guess I do.”   She patted his elbow again, then with a faint smile brushed his arm with her shoulder and lengthened her stride to catch up with Ashley.  </p>
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